Pencil



. e, 16,253 H. L. FISCHER ET AL PENCIL Original F'ilC1 p 7, 1918 z m J Remind Jan. '12, 1926.

UNITED-STATES Rea PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD L. FISCHER AND FRANK J. xnls'rornk, on ST. PAUL; ntrnrinso'ra, Ls-

SIGNORS r0 BROWN & BIGELOW, on ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. A conrom'rron OF MINNESOTA.

PENCIL.

Original No. 1,375,579, dated April 19, 1921, Serial for reissue fil'cdiA pril 12,

'1 "0 all whom it may concern:

lie it known that we; HOWARD L. FIscHnn and FRANK J. Kiusroi mi, citizens of the United States. and residents of St. Paul, in the county of Ramseyand State of Min-- nesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pencils. of which the followin is a smcitication. v

Our invention relates to pencils and .is more particularly adapted to a pencil of simple construction very light in Weight and extren'iely simple to operate having no .-mplicated parts to get out of order. I

The pencil is prin'iarilv designed to hold or use a null-hing lead having a. very small diameter to eliminate the necessity ot sharpening and allowing: the use of a long lead Milling it unnecessary to replace the same with a new lead as often as when a short lead is used. This is an important feature and gives a pencil which is very desirable.

The marking lead held in writing position in our pencil is adapted to be pro ected a degree at a time as it is used or worn ofl by a simple ejecting means.

The peculiar features and objects of our pencil will be clearly set forth in the following' specification and claims.

In the drawing forming part of the specification:

Figure -1 is a longitudinal cross section of our pencil. i

Figure 2 illdstrates the pencil held in vertieal operating position. i

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the pencil.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pencil.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a detail portion of the pencil.

Figure 6 is a cross section on the lines 6.-6 of Figure 1. v

Figure 7 is a cross section on the lines 7-7 .of Figure 1. r

Figure 8 is a detail cross section. of a portion of the pencil. v

In the drawing A represents a pencil having a barrel 2 which is formed with a for I ward tubular member 3 and a rear tubular member 4. The members 3 and 4 are formed of very thin tubing to give a pencil barrel 2 of ,ilight weight and of any suitable material of a detail No. 254,522, filed September. 7, 1918. Application 1923. Serial No. 631,719.

or metal to provide a device which is Su ific'iently strong and durable for practical use. a p

The member 3 is formed with a conical shaped .forward end5 having a longitudinal opening or hole 6 extending throughthe member 4 to allow the member 4 to telescope into the member 3; the outer surface 9 of the incn'iber engaging against the inner. smooth surface 10 of, the member '3 to frictionally holdv the members 3 and ttogether. The member 4 has a circular cross sectional shape as illustrated in Figure (3, or of any suitable cross sectional shape and the member 3 is formed oval or distorted from the shape of the member 4, at or near its end 8, giving a distorted shaped cross section. as illustrated in Figure 7. so that when the member 4 is telescoped or slid into the member 3 the member '3 will engage against. the outer hold the members a and 4. in set position, the

distorted or oval shape of the member 3 causing the same to grip-the member 4 with increased friction still allowing the members to he slid or telescoped together without materially increasing the 1' rietion between them when they are telescoped a larger-or smaller degree and to v be held concentric to each other. The oval or distorted cross sectional shape of the member 3 providesfrictional means for gripping or engaging the member 4 sufficiently to take up the wear of the surfaces 9 and 10, and thus always maintain "a sufficient friction between the members 3 into the forwarding end of the conical pottion 5 having no obstructions on its and fi givcs a pencil barrel with a uniform contour'froni one endtol'he other and the" distorting ot' the cross-sectional shape of the member {Efrem-the crosssectional-shape of the meml'ier 4 g ves a fr ctional means with sufficient resiliency to cause the distorted ,member to frictionally engage the smooth.

siirface of the otlieronen'iber to .give the desired amount of friction between the mem bcrsi'toihold. themin place, or in a set position,allo\i ing the members to be tclescoped any degi'ee and preventingthe lrictionbe -twecnthe.membersbecoming too gr at 0 i slidablejn relation to each other. with a uni-, form frjctioi'l between them when telcscope d a larger or lesser degree, also. taking up the \reai'betneenthe n'ieinbcrs three and tour to maintain suflicicnt friction between the memhers to hold them in place, as is desired.

The distortion ot the' member 3 should beata' single point and thus prevent the nembns a and 4 from becoming so tightly Qtionally engaged, when the member 4 is coped or slid into tl'iemember 3, that it drequire a larger amount of forceto se'parateth e members. It is an important featn're' of the construction of the pencilA that the member 4 slide or telescope practically its full length into the member 3 to allow as long a marking lead to be used in the pencil as possible, the hollow, tubular construction allowing this to be accomplished and giving a pencil with a smooth uniform outer contour at any degree .ofttelescoping of the members Eland 4.

The barrel of the pencil A is forlncdof two hollow members I} and 4, which are of a uniform thickness throughouttheir length, thus providing a uniform innerand outer contour to said pencil barrel. i

50 The lead holding finger 12 is formed of thir sheet material having a U-shaped flat body portion 13 which tapers forward and is formed With n socket. 14 on its torwa-rd end. The socket 14 is formed with a n open longitudinally extending slot 15 on one side and the socket is adapted to receive and hold the rear end 28 'of the marking lead 7 under spring tension to rigidly grip the same. One edge of the slot 15 is bent or turned longitudinaly the length of the socket and 'which is adapted to engage the surface of the marking lead 7, wh ch extends into socket 14, to grip the same and hold it against rotation in the socket. The rear end inwardly to form a sharp edge 16 extending forward end of the member 4 and is held against an. annular inturned shoulder 23 by the coil spring 24 which is positioned in the cup or head 20 and interposed between. the eupian'd thedisk 22,.the forward' edge of the member 4 being beaded or turned into form astop for-the forward edge of the cup orhead 20 to hold the same from sliding out otthe forward end 21 ot the member 4. \Vhen the spring 24 is expanded and the cup or head held against the inturned washerlikc end 25, the rear edge 26 of the cup or head 2O is spaced a short distance away from the disk 22 and the spring 24 is sufficiently" flexible to allow the cup or head 20 to slide tion is exerted against the finger 12. The distance of backward movement in the end 21 of the cup, .or head 20 is indicated by the space 27 between the lines and the arrows,

,backwa rd untilthejannular edge 26 ot the .cup engages against the washer 22, when pressure in alongltudmal backward direcas illustrated in Fig. 1. This construction provides means for limiting or gaging the backward movement of the finger 12 and allows the use of any suitable resilient membar in-place of the spring 24 without varying the di'stanceof the backward movement keeps the finger 12 in forward position, as illustrated in F g. 1, when no pressure is exerted against the same 1n a longitudinal of the finger 12. The resilient means 24 direction Thus when a'marking lead 7 is held in w riting position as illustrated in Fig.

1, the rear end 28 of the same will be held in the socket l4 with thebody portion 29pm- ]ectmg axially through the forward end of the member 3 and the conical chamber 11- with the writing end of the lead projecting through the hole 6 and out of the apex of the conical end 5. V

\Vhen the writing end 30 of the lead 7 is worn oft audit is desired to project! the lead out of the apex the conical end 5 to give a new writing point therear portion 4 of the pencil A is held between the thumb and the middle finger with the apex 31 of the conical end 5 resting on a table or suitable object and with the index finger pressure is exerted against the rear end of the cap 32 of the pencil as illustrated in Fig. 2. which causes the marking lead 7 to transmit a pressure in a longitudinal backward direction against the linger 12 pushing the cup or head 20 backward and compressing the spring 24 the distance of the space 27, causing the members 3 and 4 to telescope the same distance and when the longitudinal pressure is released from the head of the pencil the spring 24' will expand and project the marking lead 7 the same distance that the members 3 and 4 have telescoped or equal to the space 27. In this manner as fast as the marking lead is worn off it is projected a short distance until the same has been entirely used and the ejecting finger 12 has entered the inner conical chamber 11 with its forward edge engaging a ainst the inner surface of the apex conica chamber 11. The members 3 and 4 are then separated so that a new marking lead can be inserted in the socket 14.

The body portion 13 of the lead holding finger 12 is formed with a narrow space 33 between its sides 34 leaving an open slot in one side of the body portion 13 which is ada ted to receivean ejecting finger 35, and hol the same freely slidable between the side 34, as illustrated in Figs. '3 and 4.

When the lead 7 has its rear end 28 held under spring tension in the socket 14 the ejecting finger is positioned with its forward end abutting the end of the lead 7 and lying in line with the slot 15 in the socket 14.

The finger'35 is slidably held to the body portion 13 against disengagement therefrom by the band portion 36 which is formed integral with the rear, end ofthe finger 35 and is bent around the outer surface of the flat body portion 13. The band 36 can be engaged to slide the finger forward or backward between the sides 34.

\Vhen it is desired to insert a new marking i lead Tinto the socket 14 the members 3 and 4 are drawn apart or separated and the old stub 37 of the worn out lead is ejected by engaging the band 36 and sliding the finger 35 through the slot 15 of the socket 14 into forward position, as illustrated in Fig. 5 thereby ejecting the stub 37, the finger 35 is then withdrawn into backward position and a new marking lead 7 can be easily inserted in the socket '14. After the new marking leadis inposition in the socket 14 the member 4 is slid or telesco ed into the rear. end of the member 3 and y holding the pencil in the "sition'illustrated in Fig. 2 with the index gifiger pressing the-member 4 into the 'menibef3'untilthe lead 7 has forced the finger 12 with the cupor head 20 to the limit 'fit's ba kwa d ovem nt, dmque o e spa e 21, an: mit he lesc in d stanc a the members 3 nd 4 an hen the Pressu of the inde fing is el ase and as Penc aimed fmm h pos tiQn i tre n F 2 h spr n 4 w ll force th mar ng eaf 7 out o t e pex 1 t i pmim'tm t t g e d 3 f sec ion o h encil A is v y simpl nd'the d 7 an .e qu k y ejected. de i ed amo n tram he are; 3 2: the

same, thus giving a pencil with a neat ap- ,cils with a small marking lead have given considerable trouble to the userif dro ped on the projecting end of the marking ead,

particularly in construction of pencils where the marking lead 7- has its body portion sup ported in a small tube having an innerdiameter of approximately the same as the outer diameter of the marking lead and with a push rod projecting into the tube and forming an abutment for the marking lead. When pencils of this construction are dropped ontheir point the marking lead is This-is a very impor-- usually crushed in the tube holding the same, at the point of the abutment 'ot' the ejecting rod, jamming or wedging the crushed particles'of the marking lead in the tube so tightly that it is impossibleby ordinary means to clear the lead holding tube for a new marking lead.

In our Construction of pencil the socket 14 firmly holds the rear end 28 of the lead and the large chamber in which the body portion 29 extends allowing the body portion 29 or the, projecting end 30 of the lead to break off without jamming the passageway or 11010. 6 and in this manner anyone can easily insert a new marking lead should the one in use be broken by dropping the pencil.

The oval shapelof the cylindrical portion f the member 3 is very important to equalize the friction between the members 3 and 4 causing them to remain tclescoped when they are slid together as illustrated in Fig. 2 allowing the resilient means 24, to eject the writing end when the pressure on the cap of the pencil is released and the friction between. the members 3 and itobe greater than the force" required to compress the The hollow cylindrical member forms a magazine B for extra lead 7 the rear end of which is adapted to be closed by a suitable cap 32. The cap 32 as illustrated in Fig. 1 is adapted to carry an eraser 38 projecting from the same andif it is desired the cap can e nver ed t pla theerase exten s i to the m azine n i 8 n al e nat e fo m o c n f r th 'lnasa e B i illustrate-d ad h n s apted o clo e the lend 9 h mega. zirie B and so he d an, a er 3 projecting int th m in and ne e ed by the sam distance between the edge 26 of the head 20 The space 27 illustrated in Fig. 1 by the and the disk 22 is an important feature of our pencil as it allows the use of resilient means such as 24 having a varying resiliency in different pencils. Thus in the manufacture of our pencil A it is not necessary to have each resilient member 24 exactly the same in every pencil as the distance between the edge 26 and the surface of the disk 22 forms a gage for the projecting of the marking lead and no matter how great the pres sure, exerted by the index finger when the pencil is held in the position, illustrated in Fig. 2, the members 3 and 4 can only be telescoped the distance 27 and the lead 7 ejected the same distance out ofthe apex 31 of the pencil when the index finger pressure is released.

The construction of our pencil is very practical for the reason that whenever pressure is exerted against the apex 31 of the same, such as is illustrated in Fig. 2 or when the pencil is drop ed on the apex, the marking lead pushes liackward into the barrel, thereby protecting the marking lead whereby it otherwise may be broken off. The resilience back of the lead holding finger 12 is not detrin'iental in writing with the pencil A for thereason that the pencil is held in the hand of the user on an angle and the hardest pressure exerted in writing is on-the down strokes, thus causing a pressure, on a transverse angle of the lead instead of a direct longitudinal pressure.

Obviously the'hcad or cap 20 fits within the end 21 of the member 4t. freely so that the lead carrying stem'12 will wobble or adjust itself. freely so that the marking lead held in the socket 14 will enterthe opening 6 in the apex 31 of the pencil A" freely. The inturued washer-like end 25 of the portion 4: of the pencil forms a stop against which the head or cap '20 engages'to hold the head withiintlic end of the member 4 so that the lead, holding finger or stem 12 projecting from the head 2( maybe-freelyadjustable in the pencil, while the washer 22 forms a stop against which the head and spring en-" gage. These parts form a washer-like end on the member 4- between which the head 20 operates.

in accordancc with thcpatent statutes we have described the principles of operation of our invention, together with the apparatus which we now consider to represent the best rmbodimcnt thereof, but we desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims:

We claim: p 1. A pencil having its body formed of two thin walled telescoping tubular members of member having a thin tubular wall throughout its length, a lead holdingineans resiliently connected to the inner end ofthe rear membeefor holding a marking lead to project through the forward member in .writing position and frictional means formed by distorting the undivided inner end of the forward member to engage the uniform smooth outer surface of the rear member to hold said members frictionally together with the outer contour of said pencil body symmetrical throughout its length.

2. In a pencil, a barrel comprising front and rear telescoping members, said rear member having a smooth outer surface and av uniform cross section throughout the major part of its length, said front member being formed of thm walled tubing having a smooth inner surface and adapted to'slide over the outer smooth surface of said rear member, a. cross section of the rear end of said front member being of a greater diameter than the outer diameter of said rear member one way and of a less. diameter than the outer diameter of said rear member the other way to cause said front member ,to engage the smooth outer surface of said rear member under spring tension to hold said members together and lead holding means connected to the outer end of said rear member for holding the marking lead to project through the other member in writing position;

3. In a'pencil, ,a barrel comprising front and rear telescoping members, a' lead-holding member having means at one end to engage the lead, whereby the latter projects through the forward member in writing position, said lead-holding member having at its opposite end a head, the inner end of the rear member having a retaining part for said head, and a disc in the rear member adjacent the inner end overlying the "rear surface of said head, said head being adapted for relative movement with respect to. the rear member, and the front and rear members being formed of thin wall tubing, the cross-sections of which are so proportioned as to cause the front member to engage the outer surface of the rear member under spring tension.

4 A pencil having its body formed of two thin walled metallic telescoping tubular members, and a lead-holding means movably connected at its rear end to the inner end of the rear member for holding-a marking lead to project through the forward iso of twofthin walled metallic telescoping tuthin' walled metalliejtelescopin'g tubular members a lead-holdin means' movably connectedat its rear en to'the inner end of the rear member for holding a. marking lead to project through the forward member in writing position, and movable lead-ejecting means carriedby said holding means, the

wallsofthe inner and outer members being relatively distorted whereby they are frictionally held under spring tension in adjusted position.

' 6. Axpencil having its body part formed bular members, a lead-holding means having at one end a'lead-gripping socket and at its opposite end a retaining head'movably connected to the innervend of the rear member, whereby a marking lead maybe positioned to project through the forward member in writing position, and a portion of the overlapping'walls of the inner and outer members being relatively distorted whereby the telescoping members are retained under spring tension in adjusted position.

HOWARD L. FISCHER. FRANK J. KRISTOFEK. 

